Looking for Advice, Please

I have been accepted into UC Santa Barbara (a public school) and University of San Diego (a private school) as a transfer undergraduate student majoring in philosophy for the upcoming fall semester but I am having difficulty in choosing one or the other. I wanted to ask whether there was any benefit in attending a private school over a public school insofar as private schools are said to be more "prestigious" or reputable, etc. For instance, would law schools find my attending a private school more favorably than my attending a public school?

Soft factors are generally anything that can't be reduced to a number for LSAC and ranking purposes. They can usually be improved upon significantly with some effort, but don't matter as much as hard factors. GPA and LSAT are the two main hard factors, plus URM status, if applicable; pretty much everything else is a soft factor, i.e. major, extracurriculars, etc.

Law schools would care very little if at all between the difference of University of San Diego and UCSB with the exception of University of San Diego Law School they might be more willing to accept a University of San Diego alumni. Other than the differences between the two schools are negligble they are fine, but nobody is going to say WOW this applicant graduated from UCSB or USD. There is a chance an alumni of one of those schools could review your application, which might be a boost, but the same could be said for any other school out there.

The short answer to your question is consider what undergrad you are most comfortable and also what will allow you to get out with the least undergrad debt. Enjoy college, because it is possible you may change your mind about law school so for now don't give it to much though. Pursue the major that interests you at the school you want to attend and get the best grades possible to keep the door for law school open. Once you graduate or are nearing graduation take the LSAT and you will see what if any law school doors are open to you.

As between UCSB and USD, law schools will not consider either to be significantly more prestigious than the other. If anything, UCSB is a tougher school to get into and a respected research university. It may therefore be considered little more prestigious generally, but it won't make any difference when you apply to law school.

Private schools are not generally considered more prestigious than public schools. Schools with highly selective admissions are considered prestigious, whether public or private.

I have been accepted into UC Santa Barbara (a public school) and University of San Diego (a private school) as a transfer undergraduate student majoring in philosophy for the upcoming fall semester but I am having difficulty in choosing one or the other. I wanted to ask whether there was any benefit in attending a private school over a public school insofar as private schools are said to be more "prestigious" or reputable, etc. For instance, would law schools find my attending a private school more favorably than my attending a public school?

Thanks

If you're concerned about reputation then you should choose being in a private school. Public or not doesn't really matter as long as you have a very strong GPA.